Allergy Awareness Week 2016: 25th April – 1st May

I have many allergies, both food and non-food, as well as sensitive skin, asthma, hayfever and eczema, all the fun stuff, so Allergy Awareness Week 2016: 25th April – 1st May is always a week I like to get involved with. This year I thought I would share some info to raise awareness about skin allergies, as well as sharing some skin friendly beauty products, and giving away a gorgeous box to one of you.Skin Allergy Awareness
Allergy UK’s national Allergy Awareness Week runs from 25th April – 1st May 2016. During the week the charity will be raising awareness of different types of allergies ranging from hay fever to food allergy. On Wednesday 27th April 2016 they are focussing on skin allergies where the charity will be raising awareness about the conditions and how to reduce the allergy risks of cosmetics use and help manage such conditions, and which is why this blog post is coming to you today, on Wednesday 27th of April!

Did you know…?

* An allergic reaction to cosmetics due to a contact allergy can affect anyone, any time at any age, it’s often lifelong and can be caused by products you’ve used in the past without problems.

* Even natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions, some of them being lavender, tea tree oil and balsam of Peru

* Fragrances and preservatives are some of the most common triggers of allergic reactions

* Labels such as ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or ‘pure’ offer no protection against allergic ingredients

* Symptoms of a reaction are often that skin will appear itchy, sore, red and becomes flaky and dry

* Allergy UK has a helpline for questions on skin allergies and how to reduce or manage an allergic reaction: 01322 619 898.

Six tips on reducing the allergy risks of cosmetics use:

1. Minimise the use of fragrances in products – perfumes are one of the top cosmetic allergens, so make sure to minimise fragrances in your skin care, cosmetic products etc. An easy and effective tip is to spray perfume on your clothes instead of your skin. It reduces skin contact and the risk of allergy.

2. Don’t trust ‘Natural’ and ‘Organic’. Just because a product is labelled ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or ‘plant based’ it still might cause an allergic reactions. Some plant extracts are highly allergenic, such as tea tree oil, lavender, citrus extracts etc.

3. Check the ingredients list. An ingredients list on a cosmetics product is often a long list of chemical names that can be difficult to understand. However, keep an extra eye out for Methylisothiazoline (MI), parabens and Phenylene Diamine often found in hair colour. If in doubt check with your dermatologist or GP.

4. Minimize skin contact with allergens. If possible, make sure that the products that come into direct contact with your skin, such as deodorant, body lotion and sun screen, are without allergens like perfume and fragrances. .

5. Avoid or minimise use of permanent and semi-permanent hair colour. Sorry guys and girls, but this is a big one. Phenylene Diamine is almost always found in permanent and semi-permanent hair dye and it is a highly allergenic substance.

6. Look for Allergy UK’s approval. If you want to make sure there’s no allergens in your products, then look for the Allergy UK – Seal of Approval or the Allergy Friendly Product Award. All of these products are subjected to either testing or clinical evaluation to make sure, they are as safe as possible.